Cursed
by Ytak
Summary: An old friend of Layton sends him a fabulous archeological specimen and learns that sometimes it is wise to heed the warnings on such objects.


Cursed

---

An exhausted and ragged man stumbled along the road. His broken down car sat a couple of miles down the roads. He ferociously scratched at oozing wounds on his body. A cry escaped his mouth every time a grasshopper jumped in front of him or a dragonfly swooped by. He twitched and flinched when his clothing brushed him the wrong way, causing him to whip his head around, looking for the thing that touched him but seeing nothing.

The cry became one of joy when he could see a sign in the twilight for an archaeological dig just down the road. He stumbled through the quite dig, his harsh breathing drowning out the sounds of the crickets.

The moon illuminated his path as he stumbled the last few feet through an archway and it to a dark room containing an ancient altar. Drawn to it like iron fillings to a magnet, he half collapsed onto it.

He did not even bother to stand as he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the altar. He swallowed and forced himself up.

"There! I've returned it to where it should be!" he spat out, venom lacing him words.

The object began to glow and it grew to such an intensity that the man needed to close his eyes or he would be blinded. It faded out after a moment.

Resolutely, he straightened his clothing and carried himself out of the room, his step lighter now that the burden was lifted from his shoulders.

---

"Luke, come take a look at this," Layton said, placing down a brush down on the table.

Luke looked up from his note-taking on a text the professor gave him that morning. "Okay!" he said, placing a bookmark in the book and closing it and his notes. A moment later, he stood next to the professor, looking into a tray.

In the tray, surrounded by fine dust, lay a large, jeweled scarab.

"It's beautiful, Professor!" Luke exclaimed. "Where is it from?"

"From that archaeological dig I was telling you about a few weeks back."

"I thought you said that the site was hit by thieves and cleaned out of the nicest artifacts years ago," Luke said

"It was, my boy. No, this beauty was returned. And fairly recently, too. The question remains, why?" He picked up the scarab and said, more to himself, "It's a most curious puzzle."

"Look at this," he said, pulling a lamp closer for better illumination. He flipped it over and ran a finger down one side of the object. "There is some writing here."

Luke squinted and straightened up. "It looks like Egyptian. That makes sense since it comes from an Egyptian excavation site," he observed.

Layton smiled, "Very good."

"But I'm not sure what is says," Luke said. "I know what the letters are but, um, I don't know how to translate it."

"Well than, it's a good thing I know a bit of Egyptian," he said.

Luke refrained from rolling his eyes. "Professor, you saying you know a bit of something is like saying the ocean is wet."

The professor chuckled at his apprentice's comment, "I suppose you have a point, Luke. But look at this," he said, pointing one line on the hand sized artifact. "I'm sure you recall what this particular arraignment means."

Luke frowned as he concentrated and then he laughed, "It's a warning about a curse!"

"Correct. It is a warning about removing the scarab from its resting place." Layton began to translate the whole of the message, "'Woe to the person that steals this amulet. He shall be plagued by misfortune by its brethren until the end of his days unless he returns it to its resting place.' It's seems fairly straight forward."

Luke sniffed, "I've heard better ones from radio plays."

"You'd be wise to remember that there was a great deal the ancients didn't understand about the world and would attribute bad events to curses and such. A message like this one had a kind of power over the mind," Layton explained.

"I understand, Professor," Luke said. For a moment, he stood there looking like he wanted to ask something but did not want to be denied. "May I hold it, Professor?"

The hatted man chuckled, "Of course, you may."

The scarab weighed more than it looked. The jewels flashed and glittered in the lamplight. Reluctantly, Luke placed it back in the tray. "It's lovely, I can see why someone would want to steal it. Think they returned it because they had a bout of misfortune?"

Layton shrugged, "He could've returned it for any number of reasons. I can't say more without meeting the fellow. Perhaps it was returned by a relative, even."

"Who found it?" Luke asked.

"My old friend Dr. Jones with the Royal University. He thought that it might relate to one of the puzzles found at the site and felt it best for me to see in person." Layton glanced over to the package it showed up in. "I called him when it arrived but it seems that no one was in the office. But, it is a Saturday during the summer. It is to be expected if there is no big exhibit or deadline."

He looked at a clock sitting on one of the shelves. "It's about time for afternoon tea. I think one of us better go make it."

Luke winced, "I'm on it, Professor." He shot out the door and to the kitchen to make the tea before Flora could help. Layton chuckled at the speed his apprentice shot out of the room. After Flora's first attempt at making tea, well, Layton or Luke usually hurried to make sure she did not make it unsupervised.

Carefully, he moved the scarab to a padded box and closed it up. He took care to make sure all the lights were off (not that he needed many with the room's west facing window) before leaving the room.

As the door closed behind Layton, a glow began to surround the box. It grew, swamping the room with a brilliant light before fading out.

---

"Ow!" exclaimed Luke, as he snatched his hand away from the desk. "Something bit me," he whined, sticking his finger in his mouth and sucking on it.

"Sorry about that, Luke. I forgot to warn you that some biting ants seem to have made there way in last night." He held up his own hand. Three bites marked the skin. "As you can see, I'm not unscathed. You should take your materials to the study today. I will try to find how they got in. I would rather not have to buy insecticide. Too many types are very bad for delicate artifacts."

"I'll see if we have anything for bites, Professor." He swatted an ant before it could bite him. "I think you are going to need it."

"Thank you," Layton said, killing another ant. He muttered, "It appears that there are quite a few more than there were just a little while ago. Where are they coming from?"

A scream drew them both out the door as fast as they could run. "Professor! Luke!" they could hear Flora scream. They burst into dining area where they found her standing on top of a chair. Dozens of beetles crowded around the chair and a good number more climbed the legs, getting closer to the girl.

Layton quickly ran over and lifted her off the chair and carried her away. The beetles abruptly scattered, disappearing under the crack of the door. Luke ran to the door and threw it open. He saw one disappear under the door that lead outside. He ran to it and looked out.

"I don't see anything, Professor!" he said. "They just disappeared!"

"What is going on?" the professor asked no one. Flora clung to him after he put her down.

"It was terrible. I was just doing a bit of sweeping," Flora said, trembling. "A couple appeared and I swept them outside. Then more and more appeared."

"Let me get you a cup of tea to help you calm down," Layton said, leading Flora into the kitchen. Luke followed them into the kitchen, taking a moment to pick up the broom Flora dropped earlier in her fear.

Layton filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove as Luke selected a tea he knew worked on soothing nerves. When either Layton or Luke tried to leave the room, while the water heated up, Flora would begin to panic again.

"It is most puzzling," Layton said, as he poured the now heated water into a teapot with some tea. "I have never heard of that sort of behavior for beetles before."

They drank their tea mostly in silence. Occasionally, Flora would let out a delicate sniff and used the handkerchief the professor gave her.

"Flora, my dear," began Layton as soon as the last drop of tea was finished, "Would you be kind enough to go into town for a few hours while we try to sort out what is going on?"

She gave him a wobbly smile, "I think I would like to do that. Is there anything you need?"

"If you could drop by one place on you way in to drop off a letter, I'd appreciate it," Layton said. "I just need a few minutes to write it." He noticed an ant much like the ones in workshop walking across the floor. "On second thought, would you simply just deliver a verbal message."

"It's not a problem," Flora said.

"Good," he stood and guided her out of the room and to the door. "Please stop by Dr. John's place and ask his if he would come over at the earliest possible convenience."

"Okay, I can do that. I'll see you later, Professor," she said, starting down the path.

"What's Dr. John do for a living, Professor?" Luke asked, as he walked into the room and casually grabbed the broom.

"He's an entomologist." Layton noticed Luke's confused expression. "He studies insects and arachnids."

"Professor?" Luke said, "What do you think is causing all these insects to act this way?"

"I haven't a clue," Layton said, as he swept his eyes around the room, looking for any more insects. Then an idea hit him. "I wonder if I dismissed that too quickly?" he murmured to himself.

Luke swept some ants out the door, "Did you say something, Professor?"

"Just talking to myself," Layton said. "I'll be going to my workroom for a while. Please continue your studies in the meantime. I need to check something."

Layton slipped into his workshop and flipped on the lights. He drew in a sharp breath. There were insects all over the place covering every available surface but one. The work table was clear except the box he left on it the night before.

All the insects faced the object on the table as best they could. After a moment, they seemed to move en masse and look at him. Layton swallowed nervously and closed the door to the room.

He quickly ran up the stairs and to his study, where he kept a phone. "Excuse me, Luke," he said, gently pushing the boy away from the desk and taking his rightful seat.

Layton noted that his hands were shaking slightly as he picked up the receiver to the phone. "Excuse me, Miss Lydia," he said to the town's operator, "Could you patch me through to the Royal University?"

"Yes, I can, Professor," she said. "It will take a few minutes for the switches boards to connect you. May I inquire the nature of the call?"

"Ah, it would be business, Miss Lydia," he replied.

'My voice must be shaking,' he thought when she asked, "Are you all right, Professor?"

He cleared his throat, "Just had a bit of a shock and I need to verify some information."

"I see," she said. "The board says you are through. Have a good day, Professor," she said, switching him over.

At his request, the switchboard operator at Royal University patched him through to Dr. Jones's office.

An assistant picked up, "I'm sorry but Dr. Jones is out sick. He has, um, an unusual problem dealing with lice and won't be at work for a while."

Layton thanked the young man and hung up the phone. He stared into space until Luke snapped him out of it. "Professor?" the boy said, "What's wrong."

"As absurd as it is, I think I know the answer to the puzzle of the infestation of insects," he said. "Please find me a sturdy box."

"All right, Professor," Luke said, heading off to find a box.

He opened up one of the drawers and pulled out an address book. Immediately, he flipped to the entry for Egyptian digs.

By the time Luke returned with a suitable box, Layton had written out an address label.

"I'll be back," Layton said, "I need to get the box."

Luke looked at Layton like he had gone a little buggy. But Layton was as good as his word and returned with another box. He was pale and shaking slightly.

"Are you all right," Luke asked. "Do you want me to get a doctor?"

"Ah, no, Luke," he said, "But if you would brew a pot of tea, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to go mail this package and then come straight back."

"Gotcha!" Luke said, walking to the kitchen.

Layton headed down to the post office post haste and was relieved to see that the truck out of town had not left yet. The post master gave him an odd look at his request for the package to get out today but did not quibble. He did not bat an eye at the address in Egypt. Layton frequently sent off packages to odd locals and received them from equally odd places. His behavior, through, was always friendly and approachable.

'This is getting repetitive,' Layton thought as the man asked if he was all right. Express delivery was expensive.

Then he hurried home and had the cup of tea that Luke made.

While it took a week, the insects did eventually clear out. During that time, Layton arranged for Luke and Flora to stay elsewhere. Dr. John from the village had never heard of the behavior of the insects. That week, he spent at Layton's, looking at each and every specimen he could get his hands on. "Look at this!" John exclaimed, "This species is so rare, I've only seen it once before and here you have thirty specimens!" Dr. Jones' problem cleared up once the box made it back to the dig and seconded Layton's motion to leave it there. In fact, he had a trusted associate rebury the beetle so it would hopefully stay there for all time.

* * *

Layton is a smart man. He would be able to put it together quickly. And, he wouldn't keep something cursed around. :) Like I said, smart man.


End file.
